Getting started with Ring: Everything you need to know about the video doorbell king

We help you master the company's devices, app and integrations

After starting back in 2011 as a way for founder Jamie Siminoff to hear the doorbell when working in his garage, Ring has quickly become the most established name within smart doorbells.

And though doorbells are still the company's bread and butter, itâs also beginning to branch out into other areas of smart home security, with a range of cameras available and a security system on the way. Its success has been hard to ignore, and after Amazon splashed out a whopping $1 billion back in February to buy the company, itâs hard to see how it doesnât push on and dominate the field for the foreseeable future â even with competition from Google's Nest.

Video doorbells are fairly straightforward in most cases â essentially acting as your eyes and ears when youâre not home and allowing you to view things on the go â but, like many other areas of the smart home, thereâs plenty to get your head around.

So, whether youâve already got a Ring doorbell screwed outside your front door, or youâre looking to see which device is best for your home, youâre in the right place. Below, weâve provided a rundown on all the essential details surrounding Ring, including the devices currently available, the app which helps run the show, the subscription plans at your disposal and the smart integrations in place and coming soon.

Ring: Smart home devices

What began as a single Wi-Fi-enabled doorbell has now developed into a stable of video-enabled devices that double up as intercoms to help give you more security and control over your front door. But not all of Ringâs doorbells are created equally, and its smart security cameras are also slightly different propositions to their rivals. Letâs explore the highlights from the Ring range.

The doorbells

Ring Video Doorbell Elite

Youâre serious about doorbells â you love doorbells, you do. And youâve got your eye on the Ring Video Doorbell Elite, the most complete package among the companyâs four options. Who could blame you?

The first thing you need to be aware of here is that youâre going to need to install it manually, and that does involve plenty of steps. Thankfully, Ring does do a pretty decent job of explaining what youâll need to do here, and all the bits â like mounting screws, Ethernet cables, etc â are included in the package.

Ethernet connection, you say? Yes. The fact that this doorbell works through the Ring Elite Power Kit, instead of just straight-up hardwiring, is the key difference between the Elite and the Pro, which weâll detail below. That means youâre getting a much more secure and fast connection, but it does require a professional setup. Other than that, though, what you get here is 1080p HD video quality, customisable motion detection zones, human detection, two-way talking, night vision and interchangeable faceplates.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

The features packed inside the Elite â 1080p HD video quality, motion detection, human detection, two-way talking and night vision â also make their way to the Pro.

From a design perspective, the Pro is much slimmer and offers a slightly better field of view (100 degrees, as opposed to the Eliteâs 90-degree eye), but itâs whatâs going on behind the doorbell which is the reason it costs half as much as the flagship model.

While the Video Doorbell Elite is powered by Ethernet, and therefore making the setup through transformers optional, the Pro needs a compatible 16 to 24 VAC in order to work and will use Wi-Fi. Essentially, it needs the power provided by the wiring in your current doorbell, while the Elite doesnât. The decision between the two really comes to how much youâre willing to pay for a stronger, more reliable connection.

The two options above are Ringâs heavyweight options, but theyâre not right for everyone. If youâre renting, want to avoid the faff of installation and think of a robot when you hear the word 'transformer', rather than a bridge between smart and dumb doorbells, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is likely your best bet.

Like many other smart doorbells, the 5.05 x 2.5 x 1.08-inch Ring 2 is powered through a rechargeable battery, which the company says will last you roughly 6 to 12 months depending on usage. For example, using Live View will have you charging it up every few months, but this is made simpler by the fact that you donât have to take the whole unit off your house in order to charge it up.

And, really, this is the main difference between the Ring 2 and its siblings. Youâll still get five selectable motion detection zones and you can still customise the sensitivity scale, plus the camera is able to capture video 160 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically at 1080p HD.

Be aware that youâll still have to screw in and replace your standard doorbell with the Ring 2, but this doesnât involve the same amount of steps as the two options above.

Ring Video Doorbell

A slightly more svelte option than its successor, the original Ring Doorbell is still a solid option for those looking to get in on the ground floor of smart doorbells.

There are differences to be aware of though. The camera quality drops to 720p HD, battery life is weaker and recharging isnât as simple as popping out the pack with the Ring 2 â you'll have to take the whole unit off and re-install. And while those are definite drawbacks, youâll still get some standard features here â customisable motion detection zones and sensitivity, Live View and 180-degree horizontal field of view.

Ring Spotlight Cam

A plug-and-play HD security camera with built-in spotlights, the Spotlight brings two-way talk and a siren alarm to the outside of your home. Youâll be able to set customisable motion zones in the same vein as you can with the companyâs video doorbells, and you can watch the live action on your phone, tablet or PC and receive and answer alerts. As soon as motion is detected, the cameraâs in-built spotlights will shine and begin recording video in 1080p HD and recording sound through the in-built microphones, too.

Since this will be sitting outside, itâs also weather resistant, can offer night-friendly vision and captures everything in a 140-degree field of view.

Whatâs good to be aware of with the Spotlight is that it comes in two variants: one wired, one battery-powered. Theyâre both the same price, so the choice really comes down to which way youâd prefer to install your device.

Ring Floodlight Cam

The only outdoor camera on the market to offer motion-activated floodlights, a siren alarm and two-way audio all in one package, the Floodlight Cam is essentially a ramped up version of the Spotlight.

Youâll get a whopping 270-degree field of view, with regard to motion detection, a 110-decibel alarm which can be remotely sounded, and it can naturally survive the elements. This is a wired operation, which means setup is different to the Spotlight, but thankfully it can replace your current floodlight unit and connect to standard junction boxes.

The security system

Ring Alarm

What was once known as Ring Protect is now Ring Alarm â Ring's security system, which is currently available for pre-order in the US (though not the UK just yet) and shipping 4 July. The system is made of several parts: a base station, a keypad, a motion detector, a motion sensor and a range extender, all of which comes to $199, with the option to buy more sensors for the home if you need them.

Best of all, it's a system you should have no problem installing yourself. Ring offers a pro membership for $10 a month, which bags you LTE backup and unlimited video storage, but right now (despite the company now being owned by Amazon) there's no integration with Amazon's own Cloud Cam. But you'll be able to use it with all your other Ring devices, even the First Alert Z-Wave smoke alarm.

The accessories

Chime and Chime Pro

Working with all of Ringâs doorbells and cameras, the Chime and Chime Pro are essentially extenders to help boost your alerts. That means you and your smartphone can be on the other side of the house to your doorbell and you'll still be able to hear what's going on and get a reasonable connection.

The difference between the two? Well, the Pro doubles up as a Wi-Fi extender, giving you better connection between your Ring devices and your network, and the volume has been greatly improved.

Ring: The app and subscription plans

If youâre already knee-deep in the quest to smarten up your home, youâll know that ecosystems' companion apps are essential to the wider control of the experience.

Available for iOS and Android for your smartphone or tablet, as well as on Mac or Windows desktops, the Ring app allows you to do much of what weâve talked through above: customise your motion zones, use Live View and view the history of your Rings. Youâll also get access to some of the more standard basics, such as device health, battery, settings, tones and the ability to link your Chimes.

However, to get the most out of the Ring experience, itâs also worth exploring a subscription plan. Ring Protect comes in two variations, and it really depends on how many Ring devices you have as to which is more cost-effective and useful to you.

Ring Protect Basic covers one camera at a time, giving users cloud storage from the last 60 days, video reviews from missed alerts and the ability to share videos with friends, family or law enforcement for $3 a month. If you want to go big, Ring Protect Plus is there to cover you instead. With this $10 option, youâll get these same features across an unlimited amount of cameras, lifetime warranty in case of accidental damage or burglary and a 10% discount on purchases through Ring.

Ring: Third-party integrations

With Amazon acquiring Ring earlier this year, the conversation regarding integrations has become a lot more interesting. You could already link up your Ring devices with Alexa and get a live feed, for example, if you have an Amazon Echo Show, but we expect that link to become even stronger in the near future and beyond.

However, this naturally puts the other major players, Apple and Google, in relative limbo. You can get around the lack of integration with Google Assistant through IFTTT, but whether this remains in place is currently unknown.

As for HomeKit integration, well, the picture is a little clearer. Ring confirmed during the time of the Amazon sale that it would still bring support to some of its products over the course of 2018.

Ring: Coming soon

As we mentioned up top, Ring is digging its claws into wider aspects of smart home security, and that's set to ramp up throughout 2018. Announced back at CES in January, the company's upcoming wares are set to rival Nest and others. But while some are coming soon, some are facing bigger hurdles ahead of their rollout.

Let's start with Ring Beams, shown above, which is a range of upcoming battery-powered lights that will integrate with the entire Ring range and complement the company's outdoor security cameras. There's no fixed date for when the range will be landing, but you can sign up for alerts from Ring to keep you in the loop.

There's also revamped Stick Up Cams, for both indoor and outdoor, which give owners multiple power and mounting options, and a reworked Ring Neighborhoods feature within the app to help you and other members of the community to send and receive crime alerts in real-time.